Oh how I wish I had read this 2 days ago. I got a voucher similar to what other posters got to get a family shot done which was to give us a 7x5 which I had thought we would probably upgrade from. Went to the viewing at the weekend - fabulous shots, we look like the perfect poster family - the thought of leaving them behind or just choosing one unbearable and somehow committed to €2000 for a large family shot and a collage. I've been feeling sick about it since and think all I'll see when I look at them will be the price tag. I'm actually going to ring them tomorrow to see if I can cancel the order although we did sign something to say once it was ordered we couldn't go back on it. From reading the rest of the posts I'm not too hopeful

I wanted some photos of my one year old, checked out a few places and ended up with the most upfront about her costs. Liked the look of the photos on website andno gimmicks.

Was fifty euro for a 45 min photo shoot and then pick your photos. Started at 15 euro for 7x5 prints. Ended up with 3 A4 size prints mounted on blocks anda framed selection of three 6x4 prints. Paid less than 300 for everything. The photographer ended up winning some award for one of the shots.

Dealt with this "company" after buying a voucher at the Taste of Dublin this year.

We told them that we didnt want to go in and use the voucher until our daughter was a good bit older but the phone calls started almost immediately, pestering us into commiting to an earlier date. We told them that we wouldnt be in until we said.

Anyway went in and got them done and arranged to go back for a viewing.

The small talk starts, which I dont mind and it is to be expected.

She showed us the prints on a slide show and told us to pick out the yes's and the no's, which we did and then she told us the PRICE! You would buy a decent car for the prices that she quoted us. Ridiculous! How this company are still in business is a joke.

Me and the OH said that all we wanted was the "free" pic that we had got the voucher for. We had been told on the day of the shoot that we were entitled to get a bigger pic than the 7 by 5, but on the day of the viewing they had forgotten about this in order to get some more money out of us! Not a hope.

I wanted some photos of my one year old, checked out a few places and ended up with the most upfront about her costs. Liked the look of the photos on website andno gimmicks.

Was fifty euro for a 45 min photo shoot and then pick your photos. Started at 15 euro for 7x5 prints. Ended up with 3 A4 size prints mounted on blocks anda framed selection of three 6x4 prints. Paid less than 300 for everything. The photographer ended up winning some award for one of the shots.

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I'd suggest a different approach. Agree a one-off fee with the photographer, to pay for his time on a shoot. Good commercial photographers charge about €400-€500 per day, so that might be a ballpark. Agree up-front that the photographer will give you high-res digital versions of everything that he shoots, so you can then get them printed at cost via spectra.ie or similar. You'll pay about €2 to print each 10x8 shot with Spectra.

We did a photo session 2 or 3 years ago after getting 50 euro voucher: the session in itself was fun but we nearly fainted and died when we talked about prices afterwards. Needless to say that we did not even bother going back to view the pictures. It is insane!!!! I am sure the pics woul dhave been lovely but no photography is worth that amount of money!!!! Ridiculous!

If its worth it is not the issue. If we were all millionaires we would have no problem with these kind of charges.

However most of us are not. Personally I feel these kind of sharp selling techniques target the vulnerable. Most people will see this for what is it, and tell them to get lost. I dislike the selling technique intensely.

I'd suggest a different approach. Agree a one-off fee with the photographer, to pay for his time on a shoot. Good commercial photographers charge about €400-€500 per day, so that might be a ballpark. Agree up-front that the photographer will give you high-res digital versions of everything that he shoots, so you can then get them printed at cost via spectra.ie or similar. You'll pay about €2 to print each 10x8 shot with Spectra.

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Well actually the same photographer offered a copy of all shots on CD, to print as you want for €150 - so would have worked out at €200.

Getting things professionally framed is pricey too - so was just as handy to get her to do it!

I totally understand why everyone is unhappy with the pricing of Venture Photography. But over the last 3 months I myself have started working as a photography assitant.

At first I thought gosh really are we going to charge that much for a print 6x4 inch etc? How am I going to pitch for these prices? Then after 3 wks after getting to know the cost of rent for a studio, price of custom framing not to mention the time needed to prepare for a photoshoot, & maniplutate photos for viewings excluding any salaries & VAT.

Well it all soon became clear why the prices were the way they were & thats me on a basic salary!! Our prices are nothing compared to Ventures but I can see why they charge as they do. If we ( a basic photostudio in a shopping centre were to offer a luxury style experience, with digital art services then we too would probably need to up our prices to well 2/3rds of that price anyway.

You see If it takes 1 hr to photoshoot. thats 2 people salary + rent + equipment surcharge + overheads + VAT +Time to manipluate photos to make them extra special (normally 5 mins for picture) + time for viewing ......& yes the print of printing is cheap but it is experience, photography quality of your family shoot which you couldnt do on your own, service & final product.

Our studio is barely surviving because we dont give the hard sell & dont charge crazy prices! I love the look of Ventures work & If I ever went to them for a shoot I prob would hold my ground also & stick to a budget but the prices are no long astronomical to me because I know the overheads they have, but could never affort it myself. Lucky for those who can!

I just wanted some nice pictures of my family, local photographer not 'Venture' but photographer wants 300 euro for a disc with 30 pics to use as I please. I am not buying this and only going to take the one picture included with the offer. I fully understand that a photographer has to make money etc etc etc.

My point is, I walk away now and he gets only 50 euro fee for my photo shoot and one (free) print. I am willing to pay 100 euro extra for the disc but feel 300 is robbery. Surely half a loaf is better than no bread. I think photographers need to get real.

Then after 3 wks after getting to know the cost of rent for a studio, price of custom framing not to mention the time needed to prepare for a photoshoot, & maniplutate photos for viewings excluding any salaries & VAT,well It all soon became clear why the prices were the way they were. & thats me on a basic salary!! Our prices are nothing compared to Ventures but I can see why they charge as they do.

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Frankly that is utter rubbish.€2000 for a set of family pictures ??you would need your head examined,I use a photographer out in Portmarnock since we got married 10 years ago,the average cost for 5 or 6 10X8 photographs in in and around €275 and worth every penny,they do not charge for studio time.

Would it be possible to get a regular frame yourself and just insert the photo yourself?

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Absolutely, a few years ago there was a company closing down,I bought a job lot of plain silver 10x8 frames for a tenner each,every time we get a family portrait done I use them and give them as gifts to both our parents,these look just as good if not better than the frames you would pay through the nose for.

I bought a voucher 4 or 5 years ago and to be honest, had not done much homework on them. We session took place in their Dun Laoghaire studio and I must admit, we did have fun as it is not something you do every day. If I remeber well, it did come with a small print but after the session (the only fun bit) we were sat down and presented with a list of prices that nearly made me jump out of my seat.

No matter how lovely the pictures are, a 1000 euro and over for a print can not be justified in my eyes. Needless to say, we did not even bother viewing the pictures when they were ready.